Apparatus for forming bundles of tobacco leaves



1957 s. BENNING ETAL 2,809,641

APPARATUS FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF TOBACCO LEAVES Filed July 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Samuel/Berna ATTORNEYS Oct. 15, 1957 s. BENNING ETAL 809,641

APPARATUS FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF TOBACCO LEAVES Filed July 16, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQRS Swmzpe'b Bennl/ BY Lozws E.Bcw0n d ATTORNEYS Unite tates APPARATUS FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF TOBACCO LEAVES Samuel Benniug and Louis E. Bacon, Alliance, Ohio Application July 16, 1953, Serial No. 368,430

4 Claims. (Cl. 131-149) The invention relates to the forming of bundles, or hands as they are commonly known in the industry, of tobacco leaves by placing the desired number of leaves together and winding a leaf or other binding strip around the stems of the bundle.

Tobacco leaves are customarily bound into bundles or hands by the tobacco planter and grower, and are ordinarily sold in this form. Heretofore, this binding of the tobacco leaves into bundles or hands has been performed by hand at a considerable cost in labor and time.

In carrying out this operation manually, the desired number of tobacco leaves to form a bundle are gathered together in a bunch, with the stems located parallel and co-extensive with each other, and a binding leaf is then wound tightly around the stems of the bunch, producing .a bundle or hand of tobacco leaves.

This is not only a tedious and time consuming job, but becomes quite strenuous and tiring, as it involves considerable strain upon the hands and arms of the workman in holding the collected stems of the bunch of leaves tightly together with one hand and tightly winding the binding leaf around the stems with the other hand.

The present invention has for an object the provision of mechanical means for quickly, easily and efficiently bundling tobacco leaves into hands, thereby not only greatly reducing the labor cost but also relieving the workers from physical discomfort and strain.

Another object is to provide for the bundling of tobacco leaves by rolling the collected stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves along a surface and simultaneously winding a binding leaf around the stems.

A further object is to provide apparatus for bundling tobacco leaves, comprising an elongated bed having a transverse recess at each end, a flexible apron connected at opposite ends to the bed, and a roller adapted to rotate on an axis movable longitudinally over the bed, the flexible belt having a certain amount of slack which is taken up by the roller, and leaves.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the bed is of arcuate form and the roller is mounted to travel in an arcuate path over the bed.

It is also an object to provide such a device in which a trough or funnel is mounted to travel over the bed with the roller for guiding a binding leaf between the flexible apron and the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves rolling along the bed.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to having stop means at one side of the bed for contacting the ends of the stems of the bunch of tobacco leaves to maintain them in substantially coextensive relation throughout the bundling and binding operation.

A further object is to provide power means for moving the roller longitudinally over the bed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus in which a fluid cylinder is mounted adjacent to the bed and operatively connected to the roller.

The above and other objects, apparent from the drawings and following description, may be attained, the above described diificulties overcome and the advantages and results obtained, by the apparatus, construction, arrangement and combinations, sub-combinations and parts which comprise the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principle, being set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying the invention, for binding tobacco leaves into bundles or hands, showing fluid cylinder means for operating the same;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig.- 1, showing the start of an operation of bundling a bunch of leaf tobacco;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a larger scale perspective view of a bound bundle or hand of tobacco leaves as formed upon the machine; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of one end portion of the machine, showing the manner in which it winds a binder leaf around the stem of a bundle of leaves.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, an apparatus is shown comprising a base 10, having a substantially flat, elongated bed 11 thereon, terminating in the downwardly inclined ends 12 and 13, beyond which are mounted the stop members 14 and 15, forming therebetween the transverse recesses 16 and 17 respectively.

A flexible apron 18, of greater length than the bed 11, is fixed at opposite ends to the base, beyond the ends of the bed 11, as for instance to the stop blocks 14 and 15, as best shown in Fig. 2. This apron extends longitudinally over the top of the bed 11 and the recesses 16 and 17, and has considerable slack therein for a purpose to be later explained.

At one side of the bed 11, and parallel therewith, is mounted a guide frame, which may be formed of pipe or rods as shown, and comprises the spaced, parallel, longitudinally disposed guide rods 19, supported above the base as by the corner posts 20 secured to the base as by the flange collars 21. For the purpose of holding the guide rods 19 rigidly in spaced relation, they may be connected together at opposite ends by the short pipe sections or rods 22.

An H-shape cross head 23 is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement upon the guide rods 19, as by the sleeve portions 24 of said cross head, and is provided with the bearing portion 25 Within which is journalled the transversely disposed shaft 26, extending transversely across the bed 11 and having the roller 27 mounted thereon.

A cross arm 28 is mounted upon the cross head 23, at

the side adjacent to the bed 11, and supports the bracket arms 29, which project in opposite directions therefrom, to which are secured the downwardly inclined, converging guide troughs 3 3 and 31.

These troughs are preferably of funnel shape as shown in the drawings and may have the longitudinal openings 32 along their opposed sides, and are for the purpose of guiding a binder leaf around the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves being rolled upon the machine, as will be later described in detail.

As best seen in Fig. 2 the converging lower ends of the guide troughs 30 and 31 are disposed slightly below and on opposite sides of the roller 27 so as to guide the binder leaf onto the apron, substantially tangential to and around the bunch of stems.

Each of these funnels 30 and 31 has an arcuate bottom Wall 33, opposite side edges of which converge down;

Patented 0a. 15, 1957,

wardly; and the opposed flanges 34 which extend toward each other to"the"longitudina'l opening 32' form guide flanges by means of which a binder leaf passing downwardly intothe smaller end of either funnel will be folded'into a binding strip and directed tangentiallyto the stems off-a bunch offobac'co leaves placed upon the apron 18'.

For the purop'se'ofmaintaining the ends 'of the stems of a bunch. of leaves substantiallycoextensive during the binding "and" bundling" "operation, suitable" stop means is provided adjacent the side-of the bed-toward the guide rod's19."" As shown in the drawings this stop may be in the form of'a 'discor'plate 35 carried: upon the shaft '26 oftheirollerdirec'tlyiadjacent to the inner edge, ofthe apron'j18." a

However, for"the"pu'rpose 'ofin'creasing the speed and capacity of the machine, in order, to more rapidly bind and'bundle tob'a'cco leaves, mechanical -means are A longitudinally disposed link 42 is provided with a laterally extending arm 43-conn'ected'to the piston rod 44 of'the cylinder,"and the opposite end of the link has a laterally disposed arm 45 "slidably mounted upon the guide 'rod 39; A lug 46 is formedupon the adjacent side "of the cross head 23 and connected, as by the pin 41 mm the ears 48secured to the link 42 as by Welding or'the like) As in usual practice in adouble acting cylinder, opposite ends of the cylinder 36 are provided with ports (not shown) which are connected through'conduits 4'9 with a valve indicated generally at 59 by means ofwhich fluid, from a suitable source of 'fluidpressure,may be alternately admitted to and exhausted from the opposite ends of thecylinder 36.

' With this arrangement it will be evident that by operating the control valve 59 the piston within the cylinder 36- may ;be reciprocated to move the roller 27. longitudinally abovethe bed 11 from either end thereof to the other;

In operating the machine abovedescribed to form bundl'es or=hands of tobacco leaves, the required number of leaves L are placed together in a bunch, with the stems S thereof'held'together in a bundle,'as' shown in Figs, 2, 4'and' 5, and this bundle of stems is placed in the loop or-pocket P'of the apron located at either recess 16 or 17 at either end of the bed as shown in Figs. 2 andS, With the ends of the stems'butted against the stop 35.

A binder leaf is then selected and fed, tip end forward,

into the upper, open end of the trough or funnel on the side of the roller 27 adjacent to the bed 11. As shown in'Fig s. 2 and 5, the roller is located at the left hand endof the bed with'the bundle of leaf stems S inserted 'to the left hand end of the cylinder 36, as viewed in the drawings, and to exhaust fluid fromthe right hand end ofthe cylinder,'thus moving the piston rod 44' to the right, and; through the link 42, lug 46 and ears 48, moving the cross head 23 to the right upon the guide rods 19, and carrying with it the roller 27 toward the opposite end of thebed."

Duringvthis operation the binder leaf B is folded 'asit thereof being "advanced toward th is passed down through the trough or funnel, the tip end- 6 'ap'r'o'n, substantially tangential to the bundle of stems S, so that as the roller 27 advances toward the other end of the bed 11 this binding leaf will be wrapped around the stems S, and upon reaching the depression 17 at the opposite end of the table, the bundle or hand of tobacco leaves will be ejected from the apron into the recess 17 of the bed, and the stem end .ofthe binder: leaf B rnay be" tucked into :the spaces between the stemsor leaves-ofthe bundle in conventional manner, forming a bundle or hand oftobacco leaves as shown in Fig. 4." i

The operation'imay' be repeated tb lacing janother bunch of leaves in the machine with thestems thereof located in the pocketoftheaprohformed between the roller and the recess 17, and the cylinder 36 operated in reversed direction, moving the roller to the left, and at the same time, a binder leaf is inserted tip first into the left hand trough or funnel 30 and a bundle'is formed and. ejected from the machine atth'e left hand end thereof. It will be see'n'tha't throughout the operation the stop 35 or its equivalent'will maintain 'the'endsof the stems of Y the bunch of leaves substantially coextensive.

It will thusbe' seen'that the binding or bundlingof tobacco leaves into hands or bundles maybe very quickly and easily performed,"the only manualsteps'rei quired being theinsertion of a binder leaf into the trough l. at the beginning of each operationiand' the removal of L the bound bundle or hand from the machine and tucking under of'the' end of the binderileaf stem at the completion of each operation.

In each form of the invention a clip 64 may be provided to hold the belt in line on the roller and to help hold the belt down upon the roller in better position to receive the bundle of leaves.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construe-- tion illustrated 'and'described herein'are" by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact detailsof' construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful-results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions,

and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled 'in'the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for binding tobacco leaves into bundles, comprising a bed having at each end a transversely disposed recess, a flexible apron of greater length than the bed extending longitudinally above the bed, means connecting opposite ends of the apron to opposite ends of the bed, a roller mounted to rotate above thebed and engaging the underside of the apron, and forming a trans-- verse pocket therein, means for moving the roller longitudinally over the bed for carrying said pocket over the bed'by said roller, a downwardly and rea'rwardly angled funnel movable with the roller forguiding a binding strip nectingopposite ends of the apron to opposite ends of r the bed, a roller mounted to rotate above the bed and l engaging the underside of the apron, and forming a transverse pocket therein, means for moving the roller longi-.; tudinally over the bed for carrying said pocket over the bed by said roller, a downwardly and rearwardly angled. funnel movable with the roller for guiding a binding strip between the apron and the stems of abunchof tobacco le'avesin said pocket, and a stop disc carried at one end of the roller adjacent one side of the bed for contacting the ends of the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves rolled in said pocket, and maintaining the stems co-extensive with each other.

3. Apparatus for binding tobacco leaves into bundles, comprising a base, a bed upon the base having at each end a transversely disposed recess, a flexible apron of greater length than the bed extending longitudinally above the bed, means connecting opposite ends of the apron to opposite ends of the bed, a spaced pair of longitudinal guide rods parallel to and located at one side of the bed, a cross-head longitudinally slidable upon said guide rods, a fluid cylinder mounted upon the base parallel to the bed, a piston rod in the cylinder, a guide rod located parallel to the cylinder, a link connected at one end of the piston rod and at its other end to the crosshead and slidably connected to said last-named guide rod, a roller carried by said cross-head and engaging the underside of the apron and forcing a transverse pocket therein, said roller being movable longitudinally over the bed for carrying said pocket over the bed, means mounted to move with the roller above the apron for guiding a binding strip between the apron and the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves in said pocket, and a stop disc carried at one end of the roller adjacent one side of the bed for contacting the ends of the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves rolled in said pocket and maintaining the stems coextensive with each other.

4. Apparatus for binding tobacco leaves into bundles, comprising a base, a bed upon the base having at each end a transversely disposed recess, a flexible apron of greater length than the bed extending longitudinally above the bed, means connecting opposite ends of the apron to opposite ends of the bed, a spaced pair of longitudinal guide rods parallel to and located at one side of the bed, a crosshead longitudinally slidable upon said guide rods, a fluid cylinder mounted upon the base parallel to the bed, a piston rod in the cylinder, a guide rod located parallel to the cylinder, a link connected at one end to the piston rod and at its other end to the cross-head and slidably connected to said last-named guide rod, a roller carried by said cross head and engaging the underside of the apron and forming a transverse pocket therein, said roller being movable longitudinally over the bed for carrying said pocket over the bed, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined funnel mounted to move with the roller above the apron for guiding a binding strip between the apron and the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves in said pocket, and a stop disc carried at one end of the rolleradjacent one side of the bed for contacting the ends of the stems of a bunch of tobacco leaves rolled in said pocket and maintaining the stems coextensive with each other.

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